MXR M101 Phase 90

I bought this timeless classic effect off of Musician's Friend for a mere $59.99 - I'd shopped around forever and believe me, it's the best price you'll get.

The reason I purchased this unit is simple - it is a must have for musicians in every genre!

I love the sound - it's timeless, classic, vintage . . . it can be incorporated into nearly everything from classic rock to contemporary to alternative to heavy metal . . . I find that it is very versatile and sounds great with just about anything.

I can't think of anything that I don't really like about it. Guess it'd be nice if they were manditorily issued with every guitar!!!

The construction is the simple vintage looking orange metal box . . . quality? Ask Jimmy Hendrix.

The bottom line simply is, if you're a guitarist, this is a must-have effect and nothing delivers like the MXR Phase 90 (although, you could up the ante, if you're feelin' froggy and jump on the MXR Phase 100!)

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got it from this place called avenue guitars for $123.

It has a rich, warm phasing sound like no other phaser. It is very transparent and it is slightly distorted which makes it even more warm and makes it sound more distinctive and better sounding. It can be used for slight phased passages of chords or solos, to the swooshing sound to warbly crazy sounds.

It sounds like poop after distortion, but that is okay because it sounds great before distortion, this isn't a reason to not buy this.

It is heavy and very sturdy, very tough.

It is a good buy if you are looking for a no frills phaser that sounds awesome.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This version of the Phase 90 is the more modern "block logo" type that was introduced in the later seventies and built up 'til now. It has the same basic look as the classic models, except the logo is in a block of printed text, as opposed to the script of older models. Also the tones out of this model are less subtle than the script logo models... it's a more pronounced phase sound for players that desire something with a little more whoosh. It just has the one speed knob. It can be powered via battery or AC adapter.

UTILIZATION

Setting up this pedal is pretty simple. It's only got the one control so it's not really putting you through the paces of dialing in a bunch of knobs. It pretty much goes from a very slow and quiet phase to a very jarring and fast one that can cut through a mix quite well. This model sounds a bit more modern than my script logo, and doesn't quite have that treble booster quality that I like in my MXR Phasers. That being said, for someone who just wants a simple and modern sounding Phase 90 and doesn't care about having a more vintage sounding unit, it's great.

SOUND QUALITY

This pedal sounds pretty much like you would expect. It doesn't quite have the really intense and crazy settings of some of the BOSS or other phasers with more controls, but instead it offers a more focused sound that's pretty unique and cool. I like using this pedal with a clean sound and some reverb/delay to get a nice wooshing tone to my chords and certain melodies. I don't care for this pedal in a Van Halen type setting (the main reason I wanted a Phase 90) because the sound is too pronounced, even at lower settings.

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think the MXR Phase 90 is a pretty cool pedal. I prefer the script logo models, but it's definitely still a nice buy for someone looking for a nice simple phaser to add to their board. They only run about $90 or so new which is a pretty good price. MXR pedals are pretty reliable, and aside from lacking true bypass, really don't need any mods or changes. If you're looking for a basic phaser with a more modern take on the seventies phase tone, have a look at this one.